Honing device



P 1953 J. HANSEN 2,851,833

' Y .nonmc DEVICE Filed March 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. JOHN HANSEN ATTORNEY Sept.'16, 1958 .1. HANSEN 2,351,833

- HONING DEVICE Filed llarch 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.4

INVENTOR. JOHN HANSEN w I ATTORNEY United States Patent HONING DEVICE John Hansen, Bettendorf, Iowa Application March 19, 1956, Serial No. 572,369

24 Claims. (Cl. 51-250) This invention relates to a honing device and especially to such device as capable of use in honing the several blades of bread-slicing machines, for example.

A typical bread slicer, specifically a slicer of the endless band type, includes a pair of drums rotatable about spaced apart parallel axes and a plurality of endless slicer bands trained about the drums, each band being crossed in the form of a figure eight so as to present at the zone of intersection of the straight runs of the band a pair of cutting edges maintained by appropriate guides in parallel planes normal to the drum axes. The several bands thus present several cutting edges through which loaves of bread are passed along a path cut by the blades, the loaves being thus sliced in accordance with the number of cutting edges involved. These bands have a substantial useful life measured ordinarily by the number of loaves cut before defects begin appearing in the loaves, such as crumbling, snow, crushing etc., depending upon the nature of the loaves as to type and texture. When the bands show signs of extreme failure in any of the respects noted, they are usually removed from the slicer and returned to the manufacturer for re-sharpening, which is distinguished from honing because in the re-sharpening process the individual bands are placed on special machines and actually re-ground. Re-sharpening or regrinding, however, is relatively costly as compared with honing and accordingly operators of the slicer machines in bakeries prefer to postpone re-grinding by honing the bands from time to time to improve the performance thereof until such time as re-grinding is inevitable. For this purpose several types of honing devices have appeared in the industry with varying degrees of commercial acceptance. It is an absolute requirement that the honing device be capable of use while the bands are still installed in the slicer, and for this purpose all such devices include means of one form or another for the mounting thereof on the slicer in the slicing zone or proximate thereto. Some devices are capable of honing only one side of one band at a time, others can hone both sides of a single band and some are designed to hone several bands simultaneously. All operate on the principle of positioning the device and running the slicer, preferably at a relatively slower speed. In addition to the foregoing, the safety factor is important, for an operator using the hone is precariously exposed to the running bands. And the device must be acceptable as to initial cost, maintenance and performance.

The principal object of the present invention is directed toward the provision of a honing device satisfactorily meeting the above requirements in addition to including several noveland significant attributes. The inventive design features the honing of both sides of a band simultaneously by hones spaced lengthwise of the band or blade, so that the hones respectively contact the blade from opposite sides, in this respect the invention providing for the utilization of the intervening portion of the blade in unsupported fashion so that the blade in the honing zone is capable of flexing to thereby improve the honing characteristics by enabling the band to yield laterally according to the uneven but regular variations in the sides of the cutting edge, at which point it is significant to note that the popular slicer bands are scalloped along their cutting edges and thus present alternate peaks and valleys that differentiate the honing problems from mere sharpening of perfectly strai ht edges as in ordinary knives.

The invention features also the employment of biasing means for applying a honing pressure to the hones, plus means for regulating the pressure, especially in conjunction with a single actuator that functions also to move the hones back and forth or out of and into honing position. An object of the invention is also to improve the mounting of the device for interchangeability of position on the slicer so as to be movable from blade to blade. Other objects include a safety latch for preventing positioning of the device until properly located, a simple device including relatively few working parts, and a device adapted to use elongated pencil-like hones preferably in pairs and operating along honing paths that are in convergent relation to each other, the honing paths intersecting the plane of the blade at equal angles and from opposite sides. These characteristics are present, perhaps in a lesser but nevertheless beneficial degree, in the honing of blades of the reciprocating type.

The foregoing objects and features, along with othersof significance, will appear as a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed, by way of example, in the ensuing specification and annexed sheets of drawings, the several figures of which are described immediately below.

Figure l is a plan view of the honing device, shown in operating position relative to parts of a representative slicer.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar section, but showing the device retracted relative to the slicer bands.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, in elevation, showing the hones as related to a band or blade.

Figure 7 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 5.

A basic part of the slicer machine appears fragmentarily at 10 in Figures 2 and 3 and may be any part of such machine suitable for the mounting of the honing device thereon by means of a transverse support 12. Straight sections of several blades are shown at B, it being understood that in the case of an endless band type slicer the omitted portions of the bands are looped around spaced apart parallel drums as aforesaid; or, in a reciprocating slicer, opposite ends of the blades are supported in a reciprocating frame. These details are unimportant, it being significant only that by means of the device to be presently described, the blades may be honed while they are in situ in the machine, regardless of its type.

The blades are shown as being uniformly spaced apart on the order of the thickness of the loaf slices to be cut. Thus each blade runs or travels (as respects the part thereof material here) in a generally upright cutting lane. p Each blade shown is of the scalloped cutting edge type, typical, for example, of those shown in the U. S. patents toHansen Nos. 2,002,812; 2,082,832 and 2,596,851, the cutting edge here being designated by the letter C, scalloped to provide alternate peaks and valleys P and V respectively and, conventionally, beveled at opposite sides as at D, whereby the intersection of the plane of each bevel with the peaks and valleys leaves the respective side of the blade, along the cutting edge C, with uniformly spaced high spots H occurring at the sides of the peaks because of the missing portions of the blade effected by the provision of the valleys V. Consequently, it will be seen that the honing problem presents, on the basis-of the nature of the blade alone, certain characteristics not involved in sharpening or honing a simple straight cu tting edge; although, as will be hereinafter apparent, the' principles here elaborated are beneficial in honing other types of edges.

The honing device comprises fundamentally a base-14 and-a slide 16 by means of which it is mountedon the;

Since the support 12 is of square section, the slide 16 has a depending portion formed as a square socket 18 which receives the support so as to carry the device for lateral shifting relative to the blades, or lengthwise of the support. The upper portion of the slide is formed with the female part 20 of a dovetail connection of which the male part 22 is included 'in the bottom of the base 14, the dovetail connection being at right angles to the slidable mounting of the slide on the support so that two-way movement of the base relative to the blades is achieved, whereby the base may be moved laterally on the support 12, while rearwardly clear of, the blades, and may then be shifted forwardly when base-mounted guide means, comprising upper and lower guide sets 24 and 26, are located 'fore-and-aft with a selected blade. When the honing operation on thatblade is completed, the base may be shifted rearwardly to a rear position and may then beshifted laterally until alined fore-and-aft with the-next blade and then forwardly to a new position and so on. Figure 2fshows. the operating or honing position, and Figure .3 shows the-retracted position, concerning which a fuller description. will appear later.

The guides 24 .and 26 are located at the front end of the horizontally and vertically but are respectively rockable on forwardly converging axes which intersect the cutting or blade plane from opposite sides and at equal angles (Figure 1). The shafts are preferably of square cross section but are appropriately rockably supported at their front ends by cylindrical front bearings or bushings 46, 48 and at their rear ends by similar hearings or bushings 50, 52. Front and rear bosses 54 and 56 carry the respective bushings. Any suitable retainer may be used, at the front end of each shaft, such as a snap ring 58 in each instance, which retainer fixes its shaft againstaxial shifting but permits angular movement or rocking.

The shafts'project rearwardly through the rear wall 36 of the base and; respectively have control arms 60 and base, or that portion thereof proximate to the backs of the blades B, and .are base-supported by upper and lower pads 28 and 30 integral with generally fore-and-aft side 1 walls 32 and 34 which are also preferably integral with and extend rearwardly to a transverse rear end wall 36."

The upper guides 24 are paired, being spaced apart just enough toaccept abladeB so as to confine the received portion of the blade against lateral flexing, the blade being of steel and relatively thin. and therefore inherently capable of flexing, twisting, etc. The same relationship as to each other and as to a vertically spaced portion of the blade B is occupied bythe lower guides 26. In addition to these guides, the slicer will normally include perma nent guides,,not shown, for holding the blades in parallelism in a cutting zone through which the-loavesare-passed' to be sliced, which details are Well known to those versed in the art and need no elaboration here. The guides 24 and 26 are removably but rigidly secured to the respective mounting pads or portions as by recessed-head screws 38 and 40. Removability of the lower. guides 26 permits the base 14 to be removedrearwardly from the slide 16 as will be readily apparent from. Figure 3, wherein it is shown that the guides 26 in place afford stops for limiting rearward movement of the base, it being clear that whenthese guides are removed the stop effect disappears and rearward withdrawal of thev base via the dovetail 2022 may be achieved. Hence, the support 12, together with the slide 16, may be left in place and only the base-removed if desired. Replacement of the base is accomplished by merely slidingthe base forwardly'in-the dovetail 20-22 and replacing the lower guides 26. a

In that form of device illustrated, the base and its components are reversed but symmetrically; that is, the'structure at laterally opposite sides of the median plane of the base, which is coincident with the plane of the blade,

are upside down as respects each other, Hence, the 1 base carries a pair of carrier shafts 42 and 44, the,

former being an upper shaft and the latter a lower shaft (Figures 4 and 5). These shafts are not only offset both mediate the horizontal planes of the shaftaxes=and bisecting the: converging upright planes of the shaft axes. Or, stated simply, the axis of'theactuator. is in the median plane, of thebase14. Rockable mounting of the cam on itsaxis is here effected by an integral, externally cylindrical hub 68 for mounting-ma fore-.and-aft bored boss .70 on the rear wall 36. A'- retainer, such as a snap ring ;72, prevents'the cam from shifting axially.

The cam hub '68 is centrally broached or otherwise formed \with a square fore-andr'aft-opening 74'which effects a sliding key connection with the square-sectioned part ofafore-and-aft controlmeans or-actuatorshaft 76,: the rear end ofcwhich is equipped with a handle 78 rearwardly of the base-14iand the front end of which is equipped ingmembers86 and 88 which respectively enter apertures" or .verticallyelongated slots 90'and 92 respectively in the carrier arms 82 and 84. Theme'mbers 8688 may comprisea-single member, as shown, which serves also to connect themeansto the actuator.- Also, since the slots and 92 loosely receive the members 86 and 88, they permit the-arms 82 and 84m easily-follow their convergent paths even though the actuator 76, which moves them fore-and-aft, is confined to a strictly foreand-aft path'because of its mounting-in the square hole 74 of the cam 66. The vertical length of each slot enables its arm also to rock about the axis of its shaft (42'or 44) as'the cam 66 is rocked angularly by the actuator 76',-eausing-the control arms 60 and 62, under action of biasing means-orsprings 94 and 96, to ride the contour of the cam: V Y

The carrier arm 82 has means at its free end for carrying or-mounting a hone 98'of the elongated or pencil type, which means comprises a hone-receiving borelilt) and a set screw 102 for releasably retaining the hone.

The bore is parallelto the shaft 42 and hence the arm 82, when it is movedfore-and-aft on its shaft 42,

carries the hone,98 for'back and forth movement along a honing'path at an angle tovthe blade plane. The other carrier arm 84 likewise carries a'similar companion hone 104 bymeans including a hone-receiving bore 186 in the free end of the arm 84 and a set screw 108'for. releasably retaining that hone. Since the axis of the hone bore that the blade B in that portion thereofbetwcen the upper anilower. guides. is withoutlateral-support. Thus the blade portion just referred to is free to yield or flex laterally, particularly because of the vertical offset of the hones 98 and 104, whereby the hcning function is improved because, in combination with the.honing pressure applied by the springs 94 and 96 according to the angular position of the cam 66, the blade and bones may relatively accommodate themselves to the uneven sides of the cutting edge caused by the high spots H. Hence, the hones are effective to hone the entire cutting edge, including the bottoms of the valleys V as well as the tips and adjoining portions of the peaks P, as distinguished from a honing operation in which the blade is rigidly supported and which is characterized in excessive grinding off of the peaks and even cutting into the supports by the bones.

The hones may be readily adjusted, removed and replaced because the respective set screws are accessible through side openings or Windows 1143 and 112 formed respectively in the base side walls 32 and 34. The base is preferably open at its top 114 for convenience of access and observation.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that the base occupies a honing position as shown in Figures 1 and 2, located forwardly as respects a blade B and receiving the blade between the vertically spaced apart upper and lower guides 24 and 26. The hones in Figures 1, 2 and 3 are shown as being retracted by the actuator 76, which is thus in its rear position. Also, the angular position of the actuator '76 is such that the cam 66, keyed to the actuator at 74, has its greatest diameter horizontally or transversely, thus spreading the control arms 60 and 62 to their maximum outer positions, from which it follows that the front ends of the hones 98 and 104 are spread apart to just clear the opposite sides of a blade B. The honing operation involves shifting of the actuator forwardly, causing the hones, of course, to move along their respective convergent honing paths. If additional lateral pressure is required on the hones, the actuator is turned about its fore-and-aft axis and the springs 94 and 96 cause the control arms to follow smaller-diametered portions of the cam 66, whereby the carrier shafts 42 and 44 turn about their respective axes and swing the free or hone-carrying ends of the carrier arms 82 and 84 inwardly. If desired, a reciprocating motion may be employed, combining, if further desired, a rocking motion of the actuator to regulate the hones laterally relative to the blade. Or, with the actuator forwardly positioned and the hones at opposite sides of the blade, the actuator may be rocked while retaining its axial position. Hence, a variety of individual and combination motions are available.

As stated above, the inherent flexibility of the blade is utilized to improve the honing operation, since the blade is laterally unopposed intermediate the upper and lower guides 24 and 26 except by the hones, but the hones too are vertically offset and the blade may, when considered in exaggeration, assume a sinuous form as it passes the hones.

When the honing operation is completed on one blade, the base is backed up via the dovetail 2ll-22 to a rearward position in which the bones clear the blade just honed (Fig. 3). The base and slide may then be shifted laterally to fore-and-aft alinement with the next blade, which is determined when the guides 24 and 26 are located so as to receive such next blade, after which the base may be shifted forwardly to its new position. Back and forth positioning of the base is accomplished by the actuator 76 and its handle, which are conveniently and safely remote from the traveling blades.

However, an additional safety feature is designed into the device, which prevents forward shifting of the hones to a blade-engaging position until it is assured that the guides and blade are properly alined or located. This feature involves a safety latch in the form of a bell crank 116 pivoted on a transverse pin 118 to an upright stud 120 rigid on the bottom of the base. The latch is biased upwardly at its notched front end 122 by a spring-loaded plunger 124. The bottom of the base has an opening 126 therein through which the bottom end 128 of the latch projects freely when the base is in its rear position (Figure 3). In that position, the notched front end 122 engages ahead of the actuator front means and prevents the actuator 76 from being shifted forwardly relative to the base 14, thus preventing inadvertent engagement of the blade by the hones when the blade is not properly alined fore-and-aft With the guides 24 and 26. In other words, if the lateral position of the base, after it has been shifted rearwardly and then laterally, is such that one of the top guides 24, for example, will abut the back edge of a blade, the base obviously cannot be shifted forwardly. Hence, the free lower end 128 of the latch 116 will remain as in Figure 3, under action of the plunger 124. However, as soon as proper fore-and-aft alinement is achieved, as respects the space between the guides with reference to a blade, the base can be shifted forwardly by the actuator, since the lock-up at 804.22 afiords a force-transmitting connection between the base and actuator. Now, as the base is thus moved ahead, the depending end 128 of the latch 116 will engage the rear edge 130 of the slide 16, which will force the latch to rock clockwise about its pivot so as to ultimately retract the notched front end 122 thereof clear of the means 80 on the actuator, which occurs substantially simultaneously with the engagement between a base-mounted rear stop 132 and the rear edge 130 of the slide, the lower end 128 of the latch 116 now of course riding the proximate top surface of the slide (Figure 2). In reverse fashion, as soon as the base is retracted, the bottom 128 of the latch 116 drops through the opening 126 when a gap is opened up between the stop 132 and the edge 130.

Objects and features of the invention that have not been categorically outlined herein will readily occur to those versed in the art, as will modifications of the preferred embodiment disclosed, all of which are attainable without departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated flexible cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising: a support positioned behind the blade; 21 base carried by the support and having front and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; blade guide means on the base and slidably engaging the blade for locating the base and blade relative to each other; upper and lower fore-and-aft shafts carried by the base for angular movement respectively about vertically spaced and laterally offset axes that converge forwardly and intersect the blade plane; a first carrier arm constrained for angular movement with the upper shaft but axially slidable back and forth therealong, said arm depending from said upper shaft to a free end at the same side of the blade plane as said upper shaft and said free end having means thereon for carrying a blade hone adapted to engage one side of the blade and movable along a hone path parallel to the upper shaft axis; a second carrier arm constrained for angular movement with the lower shaft but axially slidable back and forth therealong, said second arm rising from said lower shaft to a free end at the same side of the blade plane as said lower shaft and said free end having means thereon for carrying another blade hone adapted to engage the other side of the blade and movable along a hone path parallel to the lower shaft axis; means biasing the shafts to turn in such directions as to urge the carrier arms laterally toward each other for biasing the hones into engagement with opposite sides of the blade cutting edge; an actuator movably carried by the base; and means interconnecting the actuator and the carrier arms for moving the arms forwardly and rearwardly in unison while the biasing means urges the arms toward each other.

2. The device defined in claim 1, in which: the actuator and-aft'movernent of the carrier'arrns-with the actuator while enabling movement'of the arms about their respective shaft axes under action of the biasing means.

31"The device defined in claim Lincluding: an elliptical cam rockable on the base about a fore-and-aft axis laterally-intermediate the shaft axesymeans secured respectively to'the shafts and engaging diametrically opposite portions of the cam under action ofthe-biasing means; and means for moving the cam angularly to regulate the amount of movementof the carrierarmstoward each other under action of said biasing means.

4; The device defined in claim 3, in which: the means for moving thecamangularlyiincludes a motivating connection to the actuator so that the cam is angularly movable. by the actuator as the actuator moves the carrier amm r 5, The device defined in claim 4, in which the actuator is movable fore-and-aft along and is also rockable about a fore-and-aft axis coincident with the cam axis; and the motivating connection between the cam and the actuator enables angular movement of the two in unison while permitting fore-and-aftmovement of the actuator relative to the cam.

6.- The device defined in claim 1, in which the blade guide. means on the base includes upper and lower spaced apart guides at levels respectively above and below the bones for engaging the blade at vertically spaced apart portions to confine said blade portions against lateral dis placement from the blade plane while leaving that portion of the blade between the guides free for lateral flexing whereby the engagement between each hone and the associated side of the blade is laterallyunopposed.

7. The device definedin claim 1, in which each shaft projects rearwardly at the rear end of the base; the actuator is a fore-and-aft member carried by the base-for reciprocation along and rocking about a fore-and-aftaxis vertically and laterally intermediate the shaft axes, and said'member projects at the rear'end of thebase; an elliptical cam is disposed coaxially with the member at itsrear end and is connected to the member-for angular movement with themember while permitting reciprocation of the member, said cam being confined against fore-and-aft displacement; and a pairof control arms are secured respectively to the rear endsof the shafts and riding diametrically opposed sides of the cam whereby angular movement of the cam regulates the amount of angular movement of the shafts under action of the biasing means.

8. The device defined in claim 1, in which: the support extends laterally behind the blade; and the base is mounted on the support for shifting rearwardly from its original position to a rear position disengaging the guide means from the blade, said base being also shiftable laterally on said support to a position laterally offset from said rearward position and thence shiftable forwardly to a new forward position laterally offset from said original position.

9. The device defined in' claim 8, including: latch means operative upon rearward shifting of the base to engage and lock the actuator against movement relative to the base so as to prevent relative forward movement of the carrier arms bythe actuator, said latch means being releasable upon forward shifting 'of the base to either its original or its new position.

10. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated flexible cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising: a support including a base positioned behind the blade and having front and rear ends respectivelyadjacent to and remote from the blade; vertically spaced apart upper and lower blade guides on the front end 'of the base for slidably" engaging and confining vertically spaced portions of the blade against lateral displacement from said plane while leaving the portion of the blade between the guides free for lateral flexing; upper and lower carriers disposed behind the-blade at: levels respectively below and above the upper and lower guides, said carriers being oifset respectively from opposite sides of the blade plane and each being adapted to carry a blade bone; a pair of means mounting the carriers on the base for movement forwardly toward and rearwardly away from the blade respectively along forwardly converging paths so that the hones respectively contact vertically spaced portions of the blade from opposite sides in that area of the blade intermediate the upper and lower guides, each mounting means also supporting its carrier for movement laterally of its path; rneans biasing the carriers for movement laterally toward each other to apply honing pressure to' opposite sides of the blade when engaged by the homes;

an actuator movably mounted on the base; and means interconnecting the actuator and the carriers for moving the carriers forwardly and rearwardly in unison while the biasing means urges the carriers toward each other.

ll. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated flexible cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising: a support including a base'positioned behind the blade and having front-and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; vertically spaced apart upper and lower'blade'guides on the front end of the base for slidably engaging and confining vertically spaced' portions 'of'the blade against lateral displacement from said plane while leaving the portion of the blade between the guides free for lateral flexing; upper and lower carriers disposed behind the blade at levels respectively below and above the upper and lower guides, said carriers being offset respectively from opposite sides of the blade plane and each being adapted to carry a blade hone; a pair of means mounting the carriers on the base for movement forwardlytoward and rearwardly away from the blade respectively along individual paths so that the hones respectively contact vertically spaced portions of the blade from opposite sides in that area of the blade intermediate the upper and lower guides, each mounting means also; supporting its carrier for movement laterally of its path; means biasing the carriers for movement laterally toward each other to apply honing pressure to opposite sides of the blade when engaged by the bones; an actuator movably mounted on the base; and means interconnecting the actuator and the carriers for moving the carriers forwardly and rearwardly while the biasing means urges the carriers toward each other.

12. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising; a support including a base positioned behind the blade and having" front'and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; guide means on the front end of the base for slidably engaging and locating the blade relative to the base; upper and lower carriers disposed behind the blade in vertically spaced relation and further being laterally offset respectively from opposite side of the blade plane, each carrier having means thereon for carrying a blade hone adapted to engage the respective side of the blade; a pair of means mounting the carriers on the base for movement forwardly toward and rearwardly away from the blade along forwardly converging honing paths so that the hones reciprocate as they respectively contact opposite sides of the blade in vertically spaced relation to 'each other; each mounting means also supporting its honing pressure to oppositesides of the blade when en gaged by the hones; an actuator movably carried by the base; and means interconnecting the actuator and the carriers for moving the carriers forwardly and rearwardly in unison while the biasing means urges the carriers toward each other.

13. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising: a support including a base positioned behind the blade and having front and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; guide means on the front end of the base for slidably engaging and locating the blade relative to the base; upper and lower carriers disposed behind the blade in vertically spaced relation and further being laterally offset respectively from opposite sides of the blade plane, each carrier having means thereon for carrying a blade hone adapted to engage the respective side of the blade; a pair of means mounting the carriers on the base for movement forwardly toward and rearwardly away from the blade along individual honing paths so that the hones reciprocate as they respectively contact opposite sides of the blade in vertically spaced relation to each other, each mounting means also supporting its carrier for movement laterally of its path; means biasing the carriers for movement toward each other to apply honing pressure to opposite sides of the blade when engaged by the hones; and means for moving the carriers forwardly and rearwardly while the biasing means urges the carriers toward each other.

14. A honing device fo honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising; a support including a base positioned behind the blade and having front and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; guide means on the front end of the base for slidably engaging and locating the blade relative to the base; upper and lower carriers disposed behind the blade in vertically spaced relation and further being laterally offset respectively from opposite sides of the blade plane, each carrier having means thereon for carrying a blade hone adapted to engage the respective side of the blade; a pair of means mounting the carriers on the base for movement forwardly toward and rearwardly away from the blade along forwardly converging honing paths so that the hones reciprocate as they respectively contact opposite sides of the blade in vertically spaced relation to each other, each mounting means also supporting its carrier for movement laterally of its path; an actuator movably carried by the base; and means interconnecting the actuator and the carriers for moving the carriers forwardly and rearwardly.

15. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising; a support including la base positioned behind the blade and having front and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; guide means on the front end of the base for slidably engaging and locating the blade relative to the base; a pair of hone carriers disposed behind the blade in laterally offset relation respectively at opposite sides of the blade plane, each carrier having means thereon for carrying a blade hone adapted to engage the respective side of the blade; a pair of means mounting the carriers on the base for movement forwardly toward and rearwardly away from the blade along forwardly converging honing paths so that the hones reciprocate as they respectively contact opposite sides of the blade, each mounting means also supporting its carrier for movement laterally of its path; means biasing the carriers for movement toward each other to apply honing pressure to opposite sides of the blade when engaged by the hones; an actuator movably carried by the base; and means interconnecting the actuator and the carriers for moving the carriers forwardly and rearwardly while the biasing means urges the carriers toward each other.

16. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated flexible cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising: a support including a base positioned behind the blade and having front and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; vertically spaced apart upper and lower blade guides on the front end of the base for slidably engaging and confining vertically spaced portions of the blade against lateral displacement from said plane while leaving the portion of the blade between the guides free for lateral flexing; a pair of hone carriers mounted on the base behind the. blade for movement toward and away from the blade along fore-and-aft paths laterally offset respectively to opposite sides of the blade plane and for further movement laterally toward and away from each other; a pair of hone-mounting means respectively on the carriers for carrying a pair of hones to partake of said movement of the carriers and adapted to engage the blade respectively at opposite sides; and means for moving the carriers selectively fore-and-aft alone, laterally alone, or simultaneously fore-and-aft and laterally.

17. The device defined in claim 16, in which: the hone carriers are mounted for movement in such manner that their fore-and-aft paths converge forwardly from laterally opposite sides of the blade plane and intersect the blade plane at equal angles.

18. The device defined in claim 16, in which: the hone carriers are mounted for movement in such manner that their fore-and-aft paths are otfset vertically relative to each other and so that said paths are both vertically intermediate the upper and lower blade guides so that the hones engage opposite sides of the blade in that portion thereof that is free for lateral flexing.

19. The device defined in claim 18, in which: the mounting of the hone carriers is additionally such that their paths converge forwardly from laterally opposite sides of the blade plane and intersect the blade plane at equal angles.

20. A honing device for honing opposite sides of the cutting edge of an elongated flexible cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising: a support including a base disposed behind the blade and having front and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; a pair of vertically spaced apart and laterally offset hone carriers disposed behind the blade and respectively having means thereon for carrying hones to extend forwardly into contact respectively with opposite sides of the blade at vertically spaced portions of the blade; means mounting the hone carriers on the base for movement thereof along separate fore-and-aft paths spaced apart both vertically and laterally as aforesaid and for further movement laterally of said paths; and means for moving the carriers selectively forwardly and simultaneously laterally inwardly to increase hone contact with the opposie sides of the blade or rearwardly and simultaneously laterally outwardly to relieve hone contact with opposite sides of the blade.

21. A honing device for honing opposite sides of an elongated flexible cutting blade that runs generally in an upright plane, comprising: a support positioned behind the blade and including a base member having front and rear ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the blade; an actuator member carried by the base for back and forth movement along a fore-and-aft actuator path alined with the blade; upper and lower hone carriers behind the blade and disposed respectively above and below the actuator path and being also laterally offset respectively to opposite sides of said path; upper honemounting means on the upper carrier for mounting a forwardly extending upper hone adapted to engage one side of the blade; lower hone-mounting means on the lower carrier for mounting a lower hone adapted to extend forwardly into engagement with the opposite side of the blade; means supporting the carriers on one of the members for lateral movement relative to the actuator and' for fore-and aft movementin unison, withfihe 'aetuator along separate fore and-Iaf t" upperQand lower honing paths spaced respectively 'aboye, and belowand offset laterally to opposite sidesof the actuator path; biasing meansacting on the carriers and;i'e a ting.on'one' of the members for urging the carriers laterally inwardly relative to the actuator; and means fornioving the actuator back and forth to incur back and forth movement of the carriersandhones I .r :22. The device defined in claim 21, in which: the actuator' member is additionally mountedffor angular movement about an axis lying along saidfactuatorlpathaand said actuator includes means engageable withthe carriers ioi moving the carriers laterally in opposition toithe action ofthe biasing means upon turning of theactiiatorin one direction. p

t 23. 'A 'honing device for honing opposite'sides of the cuttingedge oftan elongated flexible cutting'blade that runs generally in an upright plane,comprising: a support including a base disposed behind the blade and having front and rear ends respectively'adja'centto and remote from the.blade; a pair of vertically spaced apart and laterally offset hone carriers disposed behind the blade and respectively having means thereon for carrying liones to extend forwardly into contact respectively with hpp'ositesides 'of the blade at vertically spaced portions of the blade; means mounting the hone carriers 'onthe base for movement thereof along separate fore and-aftpaths spaced apart both vertically and laterally as aforesaid and and biasing means actinglo'n the ii for runner;movememiaterany of said 'p'at'hs; means for movingjth'e carriers selectively fo wardly and rear' I 'c'arfriers to inovelaid carriers simultaneously laterally inwardly to increasehone contact with the opposite sideso'fthe blade, I

u 24. A'honing device for honing the cutting jedg'e ofan elongated blade that runs generally in an'uprightplan'e, comprising: a support positioned behind the blade'and including afbase' member having front'and rear'ends respectively adjacent to and remote from the"'bla'de;'jan actuator member carried by the basefor back and'forth movementfrespectively away from and toward the blade; ahoneba'rrier connected to one member forbackfand forth movement in unison with'the actuator member arid for lateral movement relative to said actuator member; hone-mounting means on the carrier for 'rriouritinga'forwardly extending hone adapted to engage one'side 'ofthe blade; and biasingj'means acting on the carrier andreacting against onem'ember 'for urging the "carrier laterally in such'directionas to press the hone into the blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,127 Quigley et al. June 6, 1903 2,186,507 Trantino Jan. 9, 1940 2,621,454 Callahan Dec. 16,1952 2,768,486 Jones etal. Oct. 30,1956 2,786,314 Simmons Mar. 26,1957 

